Our Team
MDWg is made up of a dedicated team of Language Workers, linguists, Elders, consultants, admin and management staff. We work in a multicultural environment and aim to increase the use of Miriwoong language wherever possible.
Scroll down to read a brief bio of the people that make up MDWg:
Management and Board
DAVID NEWRY- Director
DAVID NEWRY has played a crucial role in establishing the work of Mirima Council since the 1990s and was the chair of the organisation for over two decades. He was instrumental in developing the work of the Kimberley Interpreting Service (Now AIWA) in 2000, after initiating a feasibility study regarding the need for interpreting in the health and justice sectors. David also helped found a range of further Aboriginal organisations now operating successfully in Kununurra. He is the Senior Language and Culture Consultant and main presenter of the cultural awareness program at MDWg. Among his many achievements in working with the Language Centre, David was a key figure in developing the Miriwoong Seasonal Calendar. This resource links Miriwoong language and culture with the land of past, present and future generations. In recognition of his skills as a language and cultural mentor for the community, he was recognised for his Outstanding Individual Contribution to Arts and Culture by the East Kimberley Aboriginal Achievement Awards in 2011.
AGNES ARMSTRONG – Elder & Language and Culture Consultant
AGNES ARMSTRONG is a renowned artist with the Waringarri Arts Centre as well as a major contributor to many of MDWg’s activities. She supports Miriwoong language revitalisation by functioning as a language consultant, attending field trips and conducting welcome addresses.
KNUT J. “KJ” OLAWSKY- CEO & Senior Linguist
KJ OLAWSKY has been the Senior Linguist and Manager at the MDWg since 2005. He works with the Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng people to preserve and revitalise their traditional languages and cultures. Operating in close partnership with a governing committee of traditional Elders, Knut has initiated a range of strategies for Miriwoong language revitalisation, some of which have been highly innovative for Australia. His efforts in helping to maintain and revitalise the Miriwoong language include initiatives such as the start of a Master-Apprentice program, Miriwoong Language Nest and other activities. In his role as a linguist, Knut has published grammars of Indigenous languages from Ghana and Peru. He is currently working with team members to describe the grammar of Miriwoong. Knut holds an MA and a PhD from Duesseldorf University (Germany) and has previously held postdoctoral positions at the University of California at Berkeley (USA) and the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology (La Trobe University, Melbourne).
KIRSTY WAGER – Office Manager
KIRSTY WAGER has a keen interest in history, languages, anthropology, literature, culture and psychology, particularly in the way they intersect and interact with questions of identity. She loves people and is passionate about seeing them reach their potential. Kirsty has a BA (English, French, History) from the University of Western Australia, a 4-year BMin (Youth Ministry) from Perth Bible College, and an MA (Ministry) from Vose Seminary (focusing on group dynamics and management). She finds it a great privilege to be able to assist the Board and Management of MDWg and so support the Miriwoong people in their efforts to revitalise their language and culture by serving them in looking after the day-to-day running of the Language Centre.
Mirima Operations Support Officer
The Language Team
BRYAN GALLAGHER –
Language Resource Officer
BRIAN GALLAGHER has been working at MDWg since 2017.
He is proud of his language and is happy to be working here with the team and the elders. He likes preparing materials and presenting classes, radio recordings, and assisting with his technology skills. He is also had great input into the creation and maintenance of our Learn Miriwoong App.
Bryan enjoys learning new skills, working in a team, and sharing knowledge.
ROZANNE BILMINGA –
Chairperson & Senior Language Engagement Officer
Since joining MDWg’s Language Nest team in 2015, Rozanne has worked tirelessly to increase her language proficiency and to develop professionally.
In 2016, Rozanne completed a Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages for Communities and Workplaces. Additionally, Rozanne recently completed training which qualifies her as a language teacher with a limited authority to teach.
She demonstrates strong leadership and a commitment to reconnecting her community to Miriwoong language and culture. She is an indispensable member of the Language Nest team.
GLENNIS GALBAT NEWRY –
Vice Chairperson & Senior Language Engagement Officer
GLENNIS GALBAT-NEWRY is a Miriwoong woman who has been working with MDWg for many years. She first worked for MDWg in 1998 as a Language Worker, focusing on language transmission to following generations. Glennis is the author of two children’s books on Miriwoong animals, and was one of the key consultants for the development of the Miriwoong Seasonal Calendar. She strongly feels that her traditional language is a crucial element in looking after country.
As a language engagement officer, Glennis is constantly improving her skills in teaching her own endangered language to children and young adults and also teaches MDWg’s public language class.
DIANNE DINGLE –
Senior Language Engagement Officer
DIANNE DINGLE joined MDWg in 2016 with her sister Barbara, and quickly settled in to be a valued member of the Language Nest team. She has found great personal joy in reconnecting with her proud Miriwoong heritage. Dianne is excited to be helping young children grow up with an understanding of Miriwoong language and culture. She has recently graduated from the ALTT program, a qualified Aboriginal Languages Teacher! Dianne’s passion and enthusiasm has helped her learn quickly and she hopes to continue to work closely with Elders in order to become a leader in the community.
ANGELA DINGLE –
Language Engagement Officer
ANGELA DINGLE joined her sister Dianne at MDWg in 2018. She soon became a dependable and valued member of the Language Nest team.
Like her sister, Angie loves teaching children, and is excited to be helping young children grow up with an understanding of Miriwoong language and culture.
Angie is the author of our children’s book ‘Doonggerrnging Manggethang’ The Hungry Spider.
HELEN BOOMBI –
Language Engagement Officer
HELEN BOOMBI loves seeing Miriwoong children engage with the language lessons through songs, stories and language activities. Her sense of humour and fun, laid back personality makes her a vibrant presence in the classroom, and she loves to help and encourage her fellow teachers. Helen aspires to be a strong Miriwoong speaker and a confident teacher.
SHERINA ARMSTRONG –
Language Engagement Officer
SHERINA ARMSTRONG is one of our newest members at the Language Nest. Sherina loves engaging the younger year classes with songs and stories in Language. She hopes that as she teaches kids Miriwoong, her own language skills can become stronger so that she can become a fluent speaker and teach many people about Miriwoong language and culture.
She also hopes that as she works in the community as a teacher, that she can be a good role model for young Miriwoong girls. Sherina is working toward starting an Aboriginal Languages Teacher Training (ALTT) course so she can be a confident teacher.
CHE KELLY –
Language Engagement Officer
CHE KELLY has been working at the Mirima Language and Culture Centre as a Miriwoong teacher since November of 2021.
Che loves practicing and teaching himself new Miriwoong words so he can become a fluent speaker like his Elders, as well as teaching others about Miriwoong Language so they can respect and communicate with the Miriwoong people around Kununurra. Che also loves teaching Language to kids, especially the next generation of Miriwoong kids, and has just started an Aboriginal Languages Teacher Training (ALTT) course so that he can teach kids in the best way possible!
ELISE KENNEDY –
Language Engagement Officer
ELISE KENNEDY is the youngest Miriwoong miljing. She started working at MDWg in 2023 and has quickly started learning the ropes.
Elise is eager to learn Miriwoong, and loves to share with kids at school what she is practising and learning.
Elise hopes with time and practise she can become a confident teacher and a strong Miriwoong Speaker.
ALETHEA AHWON WARD –
Language Engagement Officer
Alethea (Aly) Ahwon Ward was an inaugural member of the Miriwoong Language Nest Team, teaching Miriwoong for several years. She has recently re-joined the team and is excited to be back doing what she loves: teaching children language through games and songs. Aly finds it exciting that as she teaches, it helps her to learn and remember more language too. Aly hopes that as she becomes a strong teacher, she can help the local Miriwoong kids become strong in their language and culture just like her.
IRIS MENZIES –
Language Engagement Facilitator
IRIS MENZIES is from the Blue Mountains, NSW, and studied Linguistics and Spanish at the University of Sydney before moving to Kununurra in 2019 to volunteer at MDWg. She loved it so much that she then stayed on as Language Services Facilitator.
In 2021 she completed a Masters of Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition through the University of Oxford, before recently returning to MDWg as Language Education Facilitator.
She loves working together with all the Miriwoong teachers, seeing kids having fun learning Miriwoong, and seeing the program expand every year.
SYLVIA SIMON –
Early Years Language Officer
Sylvia Simon first worked at MDWg as one of the Language Nest teachers between 2016 and 2022.
After a break, she returned to MDWg to join the Early Years Development Program team. Sylvia believes teaching children language from a very early age is very important as it helps those kids to grow up with strong spirits and strong culture.
When Sylvia is at work, surrounded by her language and culture, she feels happy and proud, and it makes her want to share her language and culture with others.
Sylvia hopes that as she uses Miriwoong more and more, and teaches it to others, it will help her keep her language strong.
INGRID NINGARMARA –
Early Years Language Officer
INGRID NINGARMARA began working for MDWg in 2011. She stayed on for 9 years working closely with the Master-Apprentice Language Program, as well as transcribing Spoken Language data, and recording word-of-the-week scripts to play on the local radio station.
Ingrid returned to MDWg in 2023 to work in the Early Years Development pilot program, developing games, resources and curriculums for children so they can learn language. She loves spending time immersed in Miriwoong Language and Kriol, it helps her to connect more deeply with her language, her culture and her family.
CONNOR BROWN –
EARLY YEARS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
CONNOR BROWN has been working with Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng people as a linguist since 2019 and joined MDWg as the Early Years Development Officer in 2023. He is passionate about supporting community members in the preservation of both their language and culture, and enjoys supporting people in strengthening their language skills.
Prior to joining MDWg, Connor worked on documenting and describing the Kriol variety used by Miriwoong and Gajirrabeng people and is currently completing a PhD on the topic through the University of Western Australia. Connor has a particular interest in the outcomes of language contact, along with variation within and across languages, and how languages express meaning. He has previously published work on a number of contact languages in Australia.
JIMMY PADDY –
Language & Culture Consultant
JIMMY PADDY is a Miriwoong/Gajirrabeng man from Kununurra (Western Australia). He has been a Language Worker with Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring (MDWg) for more than 7 years.
As part of his Language and Culture consultations, Jimmy also teaches at the schools. Jimmy enjoys teaching the early years classes and has a passion for teaching Indigenous boys about Miriwoong language and culture.
Jimmy also has a strong interest in using technology for language revitalisation and has been working in video and audio editing, slideshows and database software to create language resources.
FRANCES KOFOD –
Project Linguist
FRANCES KOFOD has been involved in many projects to do with language and culture in the East Kimberley during the past forty years, including extensive work with all Jarragan languages (Miriwoong, Gajirrabeng, and Gija).
She came to Kununurra in the 1970s to record Miriwoong language for the University of New England. Frances completed a description of Miriwoong grammar as an MA Honours thesis in 1978. She also recorded Gajirrabeng at the request of senior speakers. In 1989 she assisted the Mirima Council in setting up Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre (MDWg).
Frances still works casually for MDWg, working on grammar, dictionary and traditional ecological knowledge projects. Since 2009, after completion of a community dictionary with Miriwoong people she has been working with other linguists on the Miriwoong Grammar project with a focus on the vastly complex system of Miriwoong verbs.
Interns and Volunteers for 2024
Emily Southerwood
